This week Tom tackles tips for cooking steak, a subject near and dear to his heart. And, no, Gourmet magazine still has not called him about his photographs. Maybe he better try submitting them to Bon Appetit instead — we hear they're easier to work with….
New York Strip served with grilled zucchini, onion and red pepper and the 2004 Chateau Campuget Prestige Cuvée.
Suzanne and I have beef at least once a week. With that in mind, when one of my friends asked if I had any tips on grilling steaks it prompted me to write this recipe. My apologies to all you master grillers but at least you can look at the pictures.
Ingredients
Top quality steaks, see below
Kosher salt
Coarse ground black pepper
Olive oil
Preparation
1. Start with a clean grill. Use brass wire brush and scraper to remove any char.
2. If using gas grill, preheat at least 10 minutes on high. If using charcoal, wait 'til it is evenly grey with ash and then spread it out.
3. Bring steak to room temperature. This allows for more even cooking throughout the steak and less time on the grill.
4. Trim excess fat leaving about 1/8 to 1/4 inch without getting overly concerned about it.
5. Season both sides with kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper and spray with a little olive oil. This prevents pepper from burning and creates a nice crust.
6. Grill 2 minutes with top closed. Using tongs (Never use a fork. It lets the juices out, drying out the meat) flip the steak and cook another 2 minutes. This time flip and rotate the steak 90° and cook another minute or so before flipping the last time. Rotating 90° produces nice crisscrossing grill marks. I use 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch steaks which take about 7 to 8 minutes total for rare. Of course, thinner cuts will take less time.
Testing doneness takes some practice. Pressing down on the meat with your finger lets you judge the firmness. Try it on a raw steak and then while it is cooking. When done it should feel about the same as pressing the pad at the heel of your thumb for rare. You can also use an instant read thermometer stuck sideways into the meat. Rare is 110º to 115ºF, (remember it will keep cooking after you take it off), medium rare is 115º to 120°F, medium 120° to 125°F and well done, god forbid, is anything more. By the way, if someone has given you one of those fork thermometers, throw it away. They are not very accurate and piercing the meat lets the juices out.
7. Finally, let the steak rest at least 4 to 5 minutes before cutting. This lets the juices absorb back into the meat.
August 23, 2006
